Who Would Notice?
by Miwacchi
Summary: She started off by calling him Red-head. He started off by calling her Ms. Annoying and Ms. Naive. But who would've known that they'd end up being so involved with each other even when they don't know each other's real names?
1. She Noticed

Once I saw him crouching suspiciously outside the lab, I didn't stop to think, _Huh, maybe he's up to something._ But instead I approached him, not thinking anything of him, a stupid smile on my face as always.

"Hey," I said, as I finally got next to him. A moment passed with me fidgeting and him still staring through the side window. I cleared my throat and at last got his attention. He fwipped his head to the side, giving me the stink-eye. He gave me the once-over, and then lifted the side of his lip in what seemed like disgust. I guess he didn't like what he saw.

"What?" he asked sourly. I cringed just the tiniest bit, but held my ground. His hair was a brilliant red. No, not the brilliant red that screamed at you out of its brightness, the brilliant red that seemed just right for any occasion. I smiled even more.

"Hi! What're you doing?" The mysterious boy lifted an eyebrow in amusement as if saying, "Are you seriously trying to get a conversation out of me?" and then he turned back to the window, his bad attitude and even worse communication skills laid out on his back. I felt like I was fighting a fruitless battle, but got even more intrigued in knowing more about this red-headed boy. He looked close to my age, a fellow Pokemon trainer maybe? I hoped so, although I didn't have my own first Pokemon yet.

_Maybe he could train me in the future…_

I looked inside the window as well, through less than half a pane due to Red-head's puffed up do and intimacy with the dirt-streaked window. Peering inside as he was, I saw the professor I was to meet and three spherical objects about the right size to hold in my hand. I placed my right hand on the edge of the window, and the left on Red-head's right shoulder. I shook him a little, curiosity sparking within me.

"Hey, do you know what those are?" I asked, indicating to the balls. Less than a second passed before Red-head suddenly stood up from his crouching stance and turned around. My left hand got thrown off from his shoulder, and along with the earlier unfriendly face Red-head had, he added the aspect of surprise, an extra eyebrow raised.

"Are you serious?" he semi-yelled, attempting to keep his voice down for who knows why. I surely didn't at the time. My eyes were wide, a Girafarig in headlights.

"Wh—what? What is it?" I asked again. He stood, shocked, an incredulous look on his face that made me feel like a joke. As if I were missing on something large, like the world was ending and that I was too stupid to realize it. I frowned. "Can you just tell me?" Slowly, he regained his posture, head shaking side to side, convincing himself that no such specie as I existed on the face of the world.

"It's…They're pokeballs," he said calmly, eyes staring directly at me, waiting for a reaction. It came. I felt the heat rush up to my cheeks, and quickly pulled down my white cap, trying to hide my face and embarrassment. In my awkward movements I peeked at him, who was half serious and half not-trying-to-laugh-at-the-ridiculous-girl-in-front-of-him. He was kind enough not to laugh though, which showed his inner kindness. My heart warmed at his thoughtfulness. But instead of laughing he turned back to crouch next to the window, ignoring me.

Again.

I felt a bit outraged but more grateful. After I gathered myself again I took my position next to him, curiosity killing the poor old cat that was me. I was about to try to strike up another conversation with him, but instead he did so before I had the chance.

"You've never had any Pokemon then?"

"Yeah."

"That's stupid."

I thought a bit, and then replied, "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

--

Everything was going fine. My plan was in motion, I had my mind made up, I had my intent set, and all I needed to do as wait. Everything _was _fine.

Until she came along.

I faced her, my temper boiling.

"Why are you here anyways?" I yelled at her, my need to stay quiet overpowered by my want to kick that girl out of my sight. Everything about her was just plain annoying.

The way she dresses…_Those brown pigtails paired up with that huge white hat! Is it even a hat? Or is it a cap? And what's with the ribbon? Do you need a ribbon on a hat/cap? Can't you just have one thing on your head at a time?_

The way she looks…_The stupid, aloof expression she has! Is the world perfect all of a sudden? I can only compare it with a Bidoof! _

And last but not least, her overall attitude…_Just, no._

My head spun at how this small town girl must see things. Her thoughts must consist of justice this and justice that and if-it's-not-justice-it's-a-no-no-in-my-limited-vocabulary. Can such a dense girl live in a harsh world like this? I automatically sneered. In the midst of my deep thinking, the naïve girl said something back to me.

"What?" I asked, impatient. I'll never admit it was my fault I never heard it in the first place.

"Why are _you_ here, if I'm not allowed to be?" She smiled innocently, like she got me in the middle of a trap. My temper was just about over the edge.

"Just shut up and leave! It's none of your business! Shoo! I don't know why you have to go out of your way to talk to a stranger that could possibly be dangerous!" I growled at her, my eyes just slightly able to view what was happening inside the lab. She looked hurt, eyebrows furrowing in rejection and possible frustration. I gave her one last nasty show of my teeth before she looked down and whispered something I was unable to fathom. But as she left, dragging one foot behind the other, I smiled to myself, glad I got the runt out of my face at last.

Going back to my original crouch, uncomfortable behind bushes, I looked into the window once again. To my shock, there she was. Ms. Annoying disrupting my view from inside the lab. She stepped forward and…

_What? She knows Professor Elm?_

Unbelievably, she greeted him casually—wearing the same stupid face—but casually, otherwise. To think, I had a chance to—ugh—befriend her and have a fast pass to the first step of my plan. I felt a deeper frown pull at my mouth. I kept watching. The professor seemed to have attempted to crack a joke, to which Ms. Naïve expectedly laughed in a jolly nature. _Hmph. Bidoof with privileges, huh?_

A minute or two passed of them switching jokes before the professor got a call. It was rather quick, ending with a hint of exasperation in his expression. He continued talking with Ms. Troublesome in a more sophisticated, serious manner, using hand motions to explain something to her. She smiled still, but dutifully nodded after he finished. Time ticked by as she started walking across the floor. Step by step, each filled with more pep than the one before it. She stopped.

In front of the pokeballs.

She picked the one to the very right up and pressed the button on the middle of the pokeball. A Cyndaquil popped out of a bright light. She smiled at it, face filled with joy. She wanted to get to know it better before she took it, I guess, because she extended her hand to it, initiating a handshake. _She can't possible be… _She returned it to the pokeball and stared at it for a while. I shook my head.

_Don't take it, don't take it, don't take it!_

She set it down reluctantly. A rush of air left me as I breathed out. I had unconsciously held my breath for those numerous tension-filled seconds. Turning to the professor once again, she seemed to ask him a simple question. He answered and I tried to read his lips. Pointing to the pokeball to the middle, he said something that ended in "ta" or "da". Moving his finger to the left-most pokeball, I caught his mouth distinctly moving to form an "ul" sound at the end of a four-syllable word. Without hesitation, Ms. Annoying picked the middle pokeball, thanking the professor. She walked to him excitedly, shaking his hand and bidding him adieu. She sprinted toward the exit and as she neared the edge of my vision I craned and strained my neck to spot one last view of her. I failed in doing so, hanging my head and sighing.

_Wait, sighing? Ridiculous! I don't sigh! Not for creatures like her at least!_

I fought with myself over some nonsensical topic, almost leading to banging my head on the wall in front of me. I honestly didn't know what was wrong with me ever since Ms. Annoying came along. From the corner of my eye I saw something red move. I reacted quickly, only to see Ms. Naïve in her mostly red outfit and her new Pokemon trailing behind her, a Chikorita. It twirled the leaf upon its head once, then twice, and in the swift movement of its head I found it jumping at the sight of me. It chirped, and I almost rushed out to cover its loud mouth. Thinking wisely, though, I ducked behind the bushes, looking through a hole between layers of leaves to watch the girl and her new Pokemon.

It jumped once more, searching for me, and then looked over to its owner. Ms. Naïve bid her Pokemon to come to her, and the green Chikorita complied, reaching its owner after tripping five times. Like trainer, like Pokemon? I snickered a bit, holding in the rest of my laughs for later. But as she skipped away that Ms. Annoying looked happy as ever, claiming that maybe the world _is _perfect for once with her cheerful look. She left to leave through the side, her just-as-naïve Chikorita trailing her. Along with my attention.

Thank God she didn't notice.

--

My heart flipped and did twirls in my stomach, luring butterflies into place, but not only because I finally got my first Pokemon.

It's because I noticed.


	2. His Proclaimed Name

Hey guys! :) It's Peanut/Butter, whatever tickles your fancy. I'm here to say that I appreciate the comments and am actually surprised to find people already putting this story as a favorite and asking for alerts. Love you guys! I also wanted to ask (and I hope you reply in a review or PM) how long you'd like for each chapter to be. ;D I'll do my best to have each chapter just the right length. Enjoy the read!

--

_Oh sh—_

"Hey! It's you again!" She ran over, arms flailing around wildly, pigtails greatly resembling two dog ears flapping around.

_How rabid._

She stopped just before she hit me in the face with one of her outstretched arms. I frowned at the unsightly thing. She huffed and puffed. I looked at her, wondering where in the world she came from. I mean, didn't she just leave a while ago? I guess she really doesn't have a life.

"Yeah, it's me," I replied, "and it's _you_." I groaned as to show her how I was so not pleased to see her again, but she looked at me expectantly, ignoring the obvious hint, or unaware of the obvious hint. The latter seemed more possible for the dense girl.

"Hi! I was kind of thinking I'd pass by you, seeing as how you were glued to the lab. Did you get what you wanted?" I immediately flushed, was she onto me? I tried to act innocent, but I am honestly a bad actor and it was hard to concentrate with the many troubling things floating in my mind.

_Does she suspect me? Does she know? Will she care? What will she think of me? _

Pause. Rewind. My eyes widened.

"_Will she care_?" and, "_What will she think of me?_"were so not what I was leaning towards when I meant "troubling things." I stared at the "she" in question. The brainwashing freak. _She is totally manipulating me!_

She frowned. "No I am not," she said defiantly.

_That means you are a brainwashing, manipulating freak! …Although I do have a problem in muttering things aloud while thinking of them._

"Yeah, you do," she said. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Oh," I said, sounding stupid for the first time in my life. And in front of a girl like her. Because of a girl like her. I felt inferiority pounding at my brain, screaming, "She is owning you! You are worthless! How can you be swayed by a troll like her?" I agreed. How could _I_, out of all people, be swayed by _her_? I felt like giving myself a punch to the solar plexus, but then changed my mind because wouldn't that hurt so damn much?

_Focus, Silver, focus!_

And I did…on Ms. Naïve's face. Her eyes sparkled in a way I didn't know drab ebony-colored eyes could and her smile was the same as always: cheerful. She looked pretty happy, which made me feel more confident that she didn't know about any of what I did. I let out a sigh of relief. Until I saw her eyes trail down to my right hand at my side. I quickly hid it behind my back, but not quickly enough.

"Is that a…Pokeball?" she asked, looking a bit confused.

"No," I said faster than the time it took me to hide the Pokeball behind my back. I was stuck in a ditch, but hey, no use outwardly saying to the world, "Yes, I stole this Pokeball!" I continued. "Why, what's it to you?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, "It's just that I never saw you with a Pokeball when I first met you…"

_She remembered the details of when we first met? _I thought to myself, _No duh, genius, it was only a few minutes ago! _And erased the idea that maybe it was something of an important event to her.

"How would you remember whether or not I had a Pokeball on me? 'Cause I don't recall you doing a body check on me."

She looked like a kicked dog. "No, it's just a coincidence I'm sure, but—"

That was it for me. That last word before I interrupted already proved to me that she was suspicious and that I was caught between a rock and a hard place. Unless…

"Go!" I clicked the button on the Pokeball and stood back. Out of the flash of brilliant light made the appearance of a… _What is that?_

It stood on its hind legs, looking around through slit eyes. "Cyndaquil?" it questioned, puzzled at the new change of surroundings. It turned to me, its new Poketrainer, and seemed to know that I was going to take care of it for the rest of its life. I didn't plan on wasting any time, but it seemed I had no choice when it started rushing to me in joy and chirps.

--

"Ack!" Red-head yelled, the Cyndaquil ending up on top of him. It seemed overjoyed to be with him. I felt warmth in my heart, but then again, is Red-head really the culprit? I didn't want to even think about the possibility. If I did I felt put down, and an ache in both my head and heart.

_Don't think about it, Lyra. But really…I've never studied about such a pokemon…_

It was before I started heading back to New Bark Town that I got a call from Professor Elm exclaiming that someone had stolen one of the two Pokeballs I left behind containing one of his newly-found Pokemon. The memory was ingrained in my mind, forever seeming vivid and clear with Prof. Elm's panic-stricken voice and plea.

While I thought, Cyndaquil kept on with its unconditional loving on top of sprawled Red-head, nudging and licking and sending out bursts of fire. My Chikorita, which I named Remy after I found out it was a male, felt ecstatic to find another Pokemon in his midst and ran over to the Cyndaquil. I found it adoring until I saw the Cyndaquil show signs of sneezing. It huffed, paused, huffed, paused, huffed even more and then paused.

_That is not good._

It was trying to hold back a sneeze. I could tell. I hurriedly ran over to Red-head and Remy, picking Remy up and alerting Red-head by saying into his ear, "Be careful! I think it's about to sneeze!"

He tilted his head to the left, removing his face from the grass and dirt. He didn't seem to get what it meant, his-I-don't-care-if-you-care look on his face. In otherwise, a pretty neutral and what I assumed was normal look for Red-head. I explained further.

"It's about to blow!" I yelled over the constant huffing coming from the Cyndaquil, becoming louder and louder each time another one came around. "Both snot _and _fire!" I added just for safety reasons. His eyes widened for the second time I saw him that day. I blabbed on just for poking fun's sake. "You better get your face and body out from beneath this Cyndaquil or you. Are. Toast." I smiled. "Seriously."

He jumped up frantically, I stood back a good few yards away, a giggle caught in my throat, and the Cyndaquil sneezed. Its back was set ablaze for only two seconds at most, but what remained was a good number of feet in diameter flickering with the bright orange heat. I looked at the small Pokemon who caused all the mess and then the owner.

_Can you really deny it any longer? _I thought again, convincing myself that maybe I _could_ deny it, but then would I feel better being disappointed in myself or this guy I barely knew? _Of course it would be the guy you barely know, Lyra! Think effectively! _But I didn't feel like he was just a guy I passed by less than an hour ago, I felt that maybe I could get to know him better. After all, I was the one who first approached him.

_Ask him! _my conscious finally told me.

"So you did steal it?" I asked, my heart clenching.

"Yes! I did it! I did it, okay?" he snapped. He looked guilty, but as if what he did was inevitable. I tried to figure him out, that complicated guy that made me so curious in him. All of a sudden he called out, "Tackle, Cyndaquil!" It did so reluctantly, charging at Remy in my arms. I succeeded in dodging the attack, but dropped Remy. He landed on the grass with his nimble feet, and then took a defensive stance. Although he may not look it, we trained a lot in the few minutes we were away from Red-head, and even if he fainted, I had a backup. I fingered the Pokeball hidden inside the convenient pocket of my beige bag. I had also caught a Hoothoot on my short travel.

"Cut, Remy!" I commanded. The Chikorita swished its head to the front accurately, the sharp leaf aimed at the Cyndaquil. Direct hit. I whispered an apology under my breath as it took a stance that was meant to be on the ready for an offense, but wavered, already looking faint, but not actually fainting.

"Remy, cut!" I commanded again. Remy chirped, and then swished its head again. It should've finished off the Cyndaquil, but…

--

"Stop it!" I reached over at once, and plucked the weak and already tired Cyndaquil off the burnt piece of grass. The swift leaf cut me, almost too thin a cut to be noticeable, but only three seconds passed before it opened and showed the fine and precise cut from the Chikorita.

"Ouch!" I held the Cyndaquil to my chest, glad that major damage wasn't done to it, but still pissed at the Chikorita, not so much the girl, though.

_Why is that?_

"If you know that it's already going to faint, that I have no more Pokemon, and you're going to win, why not just tell me so?" I asked angrily. I grimaced and looked inside the deep-set eyes of the petite girl. She looked really sad and self-conflicted. I didn't know why so at the time. Even if I did I bet I would have left all the same. I turned around and stomped off, feeling her gaze on me. My Cyndaquil stirred in my arms, and all I thought while heading to the Pokecenter was, _I really hope he doesn't sneeze on me._

--

I heard the trees, grass, and bushes around me rustle and sway. Everything was quiet again, everything peaceful. The burnt patches of grass felt the pressure of the wind, and extinguished, ashes floating in the air and clouding my vision with tears. I stifled a cough.

"Chiko-chiko?" Remy cheeped. He looked around for the newly found playmate he just made faint. Sadness tugged at the sides of my mouth. I walked over and bent down, placing tender hands on his back, petting him. The ashes cleared out and were carried miles away by the wind only seconds later. I couldn't believe that I had just laughed at Red-head and his frantic actions only minutes ago. I sighed. Remy brought me back to seeing my surroundings clearly by alerting me with a chirp.

I was about to pick up Remy until I found something in his mouth. I took it, murmuring a thank you and flipping it over. I found Red-head, a genuine smile on his face, staring back at me. I flushed unconsciously and dropped it, shocked.

"That's--!"

_That's Red-head, isn't it? No, who else would it be? Of course it's Red-head, but…he's smiling, actually smiling._

I really wanted to see him. I wanted him to just smile that gentle, lopsided smile in front of me right then and there, show me everything was alright and okey-dokey. Seconds passed before actual thinking came in.

_I didn't know this guy. I didn't know him at all. I just met him today and yet I'm reminiscing?_

I stared at the I.D. for a bit more, scanning his age, name, everything about him that was imprinted on that card.

_Sheesh, the card knows more about him than I do._

And right then and there, even when I had convinced myself to do the exact opposite only moments ago, I felt disappointed in myself. I tucked the thin card in my bag and headed for the lab.

One thing I was sure of: _I want to know this guy._

At the lab, everyone was panicking over something that didn't even happen to them, including the professor.

"So? He got away?"

"Yeah, he did. With the Pokemon, Cyndaquil."

"Any details about him?"

"Red—no, brilliant, red, hair." _Not a lie, not a lie, not a lie at all!_

"Anything else?" Professor Elm badgered.

"That's…" I hesitated.

An officer approached us, stern face and all.

"I'm afraid we'll have to put you in as a suspect, Ms. Lyra." He nodded his head down as if saying, "I'm sorry but your mom just died." I felt my face freeze.

"But—"

"As of yet we have no other people to have seen this 'brilliant red-haired boy' other than you. The Pokeball's disappearance was also not apparently witnessed by anyone so…" He nodded again.

"That can't be. But I left only a while ago…"

"Exactly," the officer added.

"I didn't do it, I swear," I tried helplessly. I needed help and support from somebody, anybody.

_Please, someone help me!_

"She's telling the truth. She didn't do it." A voice spoke up. It was Ethan.

_He's right!_

My heart sunk to the ground, relieved of all suspicion. I felt like hugging him, for goodness gracious--!

"And what do you have to support her defense?" the officer questioned Ethan.

Ethan replied, "I saw that the culprit had red hair, the kind that stands out way too much." I frowned.

_That's where you're wrong._

The officer turned to me. "Do you happen to know his name?" I froze for a second before shrugging off the question.

"I'll just call him Red-head."


End file.
